For the Marine Corps, 2017 represented a major step towards achieving the vision of future operations it laid out in last year’s Marine Corps Operating Concept. It deployed its F-35B Joint Strike Fighter around the globe, sent the first-in-class USS America (LHA-6) on its maiden deployment to the Pacific and the Middle East, and conducted a massive amount of experimentation to understand the technologies, skills and procedures the service would need to fight and win in the future.

Romanian static-line paratroopers enter a KC-130T Hercules Aircraft from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452, on the flight line of Campia Turzii, Romania, June 3, 2010. A pair of KC-130 Hercules aircraft, from VMGR-452, out of Newburgh, N.Y., and VMGR-234, out of Fort Worth, Texas, are currently deployed as the air combat element of the Black Sea Rotational Force Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force. US Marine Corps photo.

The Marine Corps KC-130T that crashed Monday afternoon likely experienced a failure at cruising altitude and fell to the ground in two main pieces, the service announced today. Read More →

A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130T aircraft from VMGR-452 prepares to taxi during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 2-15 in Yuma, Ariz., April 11, 2015. WTI is a seven-week event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre. US Marine Corps photo.

This post has been corrected to reflect that the KC-130 itself has experienced only three in-flight mishaps, rather than four in-flight mishaps as was previously reported. A fourth entry provided by the Naval Safety Center was mistakenly labeled as a KC-130 mishap; rather, the Naval Safety Center told USNI News after this story was first published, “while air refueling with the KC-130 tanker, the receiver aircraft caught fire, rendered the jet uncontrollable and forced the pilot to eject. The pilot suffered lost workdays — his plane was destroyed. Because the KC-130 was involved in this Class A mishap is why it appears as a Class A mishap.The KC-130 landed without incident.”

A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, is positioned on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., June 21, 2017. US Marine Corps photo.

This post has been updated to include additional information from the Marine Corps and a statement from Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.

A Marine Corps KC-130T plane crashed in a field in northwest Mississippi on Monday and killed the 16 service members onboard the plane, the Marine Corps confirmed this morning, making this the deadliest Marine Corps aviation mishap since 2005. Read More →